Character-carrying device



July 13, '1937. w. c. HENRIKSON CHARACTER CARRYING DEVICE Filed Aug. 10, 1956 v IN V EN TOR. .Wt/Zz'aaw (f fi efl/zz'isoM A TTORNEYS.

Patented duly 13, 1937 l'l'ED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARACTER-CARRYING DEVICE Application August 10, 1936, Serial No. 95,209

' Claims.

This invention relates to a charactencarrying device, more particularly for jewelry or articles of adornment, to be worn upon the person; and it has for one of its objects the provision of a very simple and inexpensive device into which characters, such as initials or the like, may be readily secured in position by snapping at the time of purchase by the retail sales clerk and there maintained without danger of becoming loosened and dislodged from position.

Another object of the invention is the pro vision of an insertable character-carrying device in which the resiliency affords a means by which the insertion of the characters may be had and held in position, which resiliency being in the holding member rather than in the character member, whereby the character members may be provided with enameled surfaces with rigid backings to maintain them in definite positions, without danger of cracking the surface which may be provided thereon.

Another object of the invention is the utilization of the rearwardly-extending edge portion of the initial carrying member as a means for securing or holding it in position in its base or mounting member.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is. a perspective view of my characterholding device with character members therein secured in positionon a finger ring;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the structure of Fig. 1 with the character members removed from position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the holder member alone;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the charactercarrying member;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view'through the holder member and the character-carrying member;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an initial in a holder for one instead of two characters or initials;

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the device mounted on a bracelet, as distinguished from the finger ring.

It is frequencly desirable in articles of personal adornment, such as jewelry or the like, to provide the same so that it may be individual to the wearer such for instance as the initials of the persons wearing the article; and in order that this may be performed by a retail sales clerk at the time of purchase, I have provided an arrangement which is exceedingly simple and thus correspondingly inexpensive by which these desired results may be obtained; and the following is a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention, illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawing, lll designates generally a holding member which is provided with a flat back or base H, having upstanding resilient flanges l2 which are rolled inwardly as at It to provide portions M which overhang a marginal part it of the base or back i 5. These flanges l2 extend lengthwise of the holder and are of sufiicient extent to accommodate the desired number of character-carrying members designated generally it, and shown in perspective in Fig. 4.

Each of these character-carrying members comprises a face plate portion H with some sort of acharacter l8 inscribed thereon, that shown being the letter A. At the opposite edges of this charactercarrying member iii the plate portion ii extends rearwardly as at It generally curved as at 29 so as to dispose these end portions l9 generally at an angle to the plane of the plate portion ll. This curved form also serves to stifien the character member.

It is understood that the flanges H? are resilient, and these rolled-in edges maintain some resiliency so that the character-carrying member it may be forced into position in the holder in by forcing the same towards the back wall H. The rolled-in edges and flanges having sufiicient elasticity to permit the insertion of the character members and then quickly springing back over the angular portion thereof as shown in Fig. 5 to retain the same in position. The resiliency of the flange I2 is greatest at its mid-point between the ends of the flange and, accordingly, the character-carrying member is may be snapped into position at this point more easily and then, if desired, slid toward either end and the second character snapped into position which will be somewhat more diflicult due to the fact that the holding at the end of the flanges i2 is greater than at the middle.

In order to limit the sliding action of the character-carrying member I6 I provide end flanges 21 which are also rolled in as at 2| so that the characters l6 will abut at either end against the opposite flanges 2! to limit their sliding position to hold them in the desired assembled relation.

The holding member It may be mounted on any suitable support, such for instance as the top part 22 of a finger ring having a shank 23, or it may be mounted upon the base 24 of a bracelet 25.

Although I have shown the holder of a length to receive two character-carrying members 16, a holder 26 may be provided in which a single character-carrying member it may be positioned, as shown in Fig. 6, and, of course, this holder 26 may be similarly mounted upon any article of jewelry or suitable base, such as the mountings shown.

While it is not intended that initials may be easily removed, the inserted characters may be removed by placing a sharp instrument beneath the edge of the member l6 and its holder and prying upwardly with sufflcient force to expand or spread apart the flanges l2 with their rolled-in portions [3, and a different initial may be inserted in place thereof.

The resiliency is all provided in the holder rather than in the initial and thus initials having highly decorative surfaces, such as enameled surfaces, may be provided and snapped into position without cracking these surfaces, which is a decided improvement with reference to some of the interchangeable initial devices which have previously or heretofore appeared on the market.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A character-carrying device comprising a member provided with a back and upstanding oppositely disposed, resilient flanges with overhanging portions, character-carrying members having edge portions extending rearwardly at an angle to the plane of the face surface, said character members being of a size and shape to be snapped into position beneath the overhanging portions by the flexing of said flanges and be held firmly by these portions against the back.

2. A character-carrying device comprising a member provided with a back and upstanding oppositely disposed, resilient flanges with overhanging portions, character-carrying members having edge portions extending rearwardly at an angle to the plane of the face surface, said character members being of a size and shape to be snapped into position beneath the overhanging portions by the flexing of said flanges and be held firmly by these portions against the back, said flanges being of a length to receive a plurality of character members.

3. A character-carrying device comprising a member provided with a back and upstanding oppositely disposed resilient flanges with overhanging portions formed by rolling inwardly the edges of said flanges, character-carrying members having edge portions extending rearwardly at an angle to the plane of the face surface, and the intermediate portion spaced from the back, said character members being of a size and shape to be snapped into position beneath the overhanging portions by the flexing of said flanges.

4. A character-carrying device comprising a member provided with a back and upstanding oppositely-disposed, resilient flanges with overhanging portions formed by rolling inwardly the edgesof said flanges, character-carrying members having edge portions extending rearwardly at an angle to the plane of the face surface, said character members being of a size and shape to be snapped into position with their edge portions beneath the overhanging portions by the flexing of said flanges, said flanges being slit at intervals around the periphery and of a length to receive a plurality of character members.

5. A character-carrying device comprising a member provided with a back and upstanding oppositely-disposed, resilient flanges with overhanging portions, character-carrying members having edge portions extending rearwardly on a curve and generally at an angle to the plane of the face surface, said character members being of a size and shape to be snapped into position with their edge portions beneath the overhanging portions by the flexing of said flanges.

6. A character-carrying device comprising a member provided with a back and upstanding oppositely-disposed resilient flanges with overhanging portions, character-carrying members having edge portions extending rearwardly on a curve and generally at an angle to the plane of the face surface, said character members being of a size and shape to be snapped into position with their edge portions beneath the overhanging portions by the flexing of said flanges, said flanges being of a length to receive a plurality of character members.

'7. A character-carrying device comprising a member provided with a back and upstanding oppositely-disposed resilient flanges with overhanging portions formed by rolling inwardly the edges of said flanges, character-carrying members having edge portions extending rearwardly on a curve and generally at an angle to the plane of the face surface, said character members being of a size and shape to be snapped into position with their edge portions beneath the overhanging portions by the flexing of said flanges.

8. A character-carrying device comprising a member provided with a back and upstanding oppositely-disposed resilient flanges with overhanging portions formed by rolling inwardly the edges of said flanges, character-carrying members having edge portions extending rearwardly on a curve and generally at an angle to the plane of the face surface, said character members being of a size and shape to be snapped into position with their edge portions beneath the overhanging portions by the flexing of said flanges, said flanges being of a length to receive a plurality of character members.

9. A character-carrying device comprising a member provided with a back and upstanding oppositely-disposed resilient flanges with overhanging portions, character-carrying members having edge portions extending rearwardly at an angle to the plane of the face surface, said character members being of a size and shape to be snapped into position with their edge portions beneath the overhanging portions by the flexing of said flanges, and right-angularly extending flanges to limit the relative sliding of said members.

10. A character-carrying device comprising a member provided with a back and upstanding oppositely-disposed, resilient flanges with overhanging portions, character-carrying members having edge portions extending rearwardly at an angle to the plane of the face surface, said character members being of a size and shape to be snapped into position with their edge portions beneath the overhanging portions by the flexing of said flanges, and right-angularly extending flanges having rolled-in edges to limit the relative sliding of said members.

WILLIAM C. HENRIKSON. 

